Loose leaf binder



Oct. 18, 1938. 3 s. H. J. BAULE LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Feb. '25, 19:7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORI Qerjzard Jflau la M ATTORNEYS Oct. 18, 1938. a. H. J. BAULE 2,133,373

LOOSE LEAF BINDER I Filed Feb. 23, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q INVENTOR. I: E- E ffi f fljflawle,

BY M w ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOOSE LEAF BINDER poration of New York Application February 23, 1937, Serial No. 126,973

5 Claims.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders of the type used particularly to bind large sheets or leaves on which instruments, such as deeds, mortgages, etc., are recorded. While such a binder is active, it is necessary from time to time,

in connection with the recording of such instruments, to insert and remove the leaves from the binder. Binders of this type are disclosed in patents to Cooper No. 1,896,881, February '7, 1933, and 2,067,846, January 12, 1937.

This invention relates to an improvement on the binders referred to in the aforementioned patents. These binders comprise a back member, to the longitudinal edges of which cover members are hinged and movable to open and closed positions. The leaves are retained in the binder by a plurality of leaf impaling posts extending transversely of the back member and in spaced apart relationship thereto. These posts are detachably secured at their ends to the back member, this operation usually being effected by a housing secured along each longitudinal edge of the back member and being provided with suitable post engaging means, such as a sliding pintle bar. When the binder-is in fiat closed position, the upper cover is moved toward open position, and the back member detached from the adjacent ends of the leaf impaling posts. The free edge of the back member is then swung outwardly away from the posts and leaves about the pivot of the other, or lower cover. This permits access for removing and inserting leaves on the posts. To reassemble the binder, or to bring the back member into engagement with the detached ends of the posts, it is necessary to manipulate the back member toward and into post engaging position, and subsequently close the open cover.

This invention has as an object an improve- 40 ment on such binder in the nature of a construction by which the back member is automatically moved toward the posts and into engagement with the same by simply closing the cover.

The invention has as a further object a loose leaf binder of the type referred to embodying a structure to accomplish automatically the engagement of the back member with the posts during the closing of the cover, and which is particularly economical, and which may be conveniently applied or attached to binders now in use.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of a binder embodying my invention with a portion of the covering layer or jacket member for the covers and back member removed.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the covering layer or jacket member for the covers and back member of the binder.

Figure 3 is an end, elevational View of the binder showing one cover in open position, and the back member swung outwardly away from the leaf impaling posts.

Figure 4 is a view, similar to Figure 3, with the cover moved toward closed position and the back member moved into vertical position ready for post engagement.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of a back member actuating element.

The binder herein disclosed comprises a back member IIJ'of any suitable construction, and a pair of cover members II, I2, hinged along each longitudinal edge of the back member, as at I3. The leaves M are perforated adjacent their inner edge to receive leaf impaling posts I5. The ends of the posts I5 are detachably secured to the back member adjacent each edge thereof in any suitable manner. Preferably, a housing I6 is also pivoted adjacent each edge of the back member IS on the hinge pivot I3 of the covers II, I2. The ends of the posts are provided with apertures or notches I1, and a suitable latch bar is slidably mounted in the housing It and operable to engage the ends of the posts. For more detail reference to this particular structure, reference ismade to the patents mentioned in the fore part of this specification.

To obtain access for removal and insertion of the leaves I4, one of the covers, as II, is moved toward open position, and the adjacent housing I6 detached from the ends of the posts I5. The back member ID is then swung outwardly away from the ends of the posts about the pivot I3 of the opposite or bottom cover I2 to the position illustrated in Figure 3. The binder is reassembled into operative condition by moving the detached edge of the back member ID toward the upper or detached ends of the posts I5. In order that this movement of the back member to vertical position may be accomplished without movement other than by the closing of the cover II, a jacket or covering, see Figure 2, is attached to the covers II, I2, and extends around the outer side of the back member ID. The jacket 20 may be formed of any suitable material, such as fabric, and is of general rectangular form, and comprises side panels 2| secured to the covers l2, and overlying the same. The side panels 2| may be formed with pocket portions 22 to receive the outer marginal edges of the covers.

The jacket further includes a central panel 23 of elastic material which is secured to the side panels 2| by stitching, or otherwise, and which is arranged to extend around and overlie the outer surface of the back member ID. The elastic panel 23 tends to draw the side panels 2| of the jacket toward the back member. When the back member I is detached from like ends of the posts l5, and the adjacent cover is moved to open position, see Figure 3, the central panel 23 tends to maintain the open cover in open position by contracting and forcing the cover and member Ill into buckled relation as shown in Figure 3.

As the open cover is moved toward closed position, the panel 23 coacts with the lower edge of the back member, and the cover does not pivot about the hinge pin l3, but the back member In is moved toward the posts l about the hinge pivot of the closed or lower cover, with the result that the back member ID is moved into vertical position, see Figure 4, and is maintained in this position during the continuation of the closing movement of the cover, during which operation the strip 23 is progressively wrapped or drawn about the outer surface of the back member.

It will be observed that the resilient strip 23 exerts an appreciable pull on the portion of the jacket attached to the open cover as soon as this cover is moved toward closed position. However, as the cover continues to move toward vertical position, the resistance of the strip 23 is lessened, due to its contact with a greater portion of the outer surface of the back member l0. With this construction, either cover may be opened and either longitudinal edge of the back member may be disengaged from the adjacent ends of the posts I5.

Instead of the resilient strip 23, hook members 25 may be arranged in the pocket portions 22 to hook over the outer edges of the covers, and flexible strips 26 of fabric, or like material, may be attached to the hook members 25, and a spring 21 secured at its ends to the inner ends of the strips 26. It will be observed that the jacket member provides an exceptionally economical means for converting a semi-automatic binder into a full automatic binder, it being only necessary to slip the pocket portions 22 over the outer marginal edge of the covers, and during active use of the binder the jacket serves as a protecting cover therefor. After the binder is filled and permanently locked together, the jacket 20 may be readily removed from the binder and attached to a new binder.

Mechanical mechanisms highly efiicient in operation can be economically included in the structure of binders of this type during the manufacture of the same, which mechanisms perform the same function that is, render the binder fully automatic in reassembling. However, the cost of rebuilding binders now in use to accommodate such mechanisms is prohibitive. For these binders already in use, the embodiment of my invention is particularly economical.

What I claim is:

l. A loose leaf binder comprising a back member, cover members hinged to each longitudinal edge of the back member, a plurality of leaf impaling posts extending transversely of the back member, means carried by the back member adjacent each edge thereof for engaging and securing the ends of said posts to the back member and being operable, when the adjacent cover is moved toward open position, to release like ends of said posts, and said back member being movable about the hinge of the closed cover away from said posts to permit removal and insertion of the leaves on the posts, and means operable to move said back member toward post engaging position upon closing movement of the open cover, said means comprising an elastic member secured at its ends to the cover members and extending around said back member.

2. A loose leaf binder comprising a back member, cover members hinged to each longitudinal edge of the back member, a plurality of leaf impaling posts extending transversely of the back member, means carried by the back member adjacent .each edge thereof for engaging and securing the ends of said posts to the back member and being operable, when the adjacent cover is moved toward open position, to release like ends of said posts, and said back member being movable about the hinge of the closed cover away from said posts to permit removal and insertion of the leaves on the posts, a strip of elastic material secured at its ends to said cover members and extending around the outer side of said back member and being cooperable therewith to move said back member toward the released ends of said posts upon closing movement of the open cover.

3. A loose leaf binder comprising a back member, cover members hinged to each longitudinal edge of the back member, a plurality of leaf impaling posts extending transversely of the back member, means carried by the back member adjacent each edge thereof for engaging and securing the ends of said posts to the back member and being operable, when the adjacent cover is moved toward open position, to release like ends of said posts, and said back member being movable about the hinge of the closed cover away from said posts to permit removal and insertion of the leaves on the posts, and a strip of elastic material engaging the back member and being secured at its opposite end to the open cover member and being cooperable with the back member and said cover to move the back member toward said posts upon closing movement of the cover.

4. A loose leaf binder comprising a back member, a cover hinged to each longitudinal edge of the back member, a plurality of leaf impaling posts extending transversely of the back member, means carried by the back member adjacent one edge thereof for engaging and securing the ends of said posts to the back member and being operable, when the adjacent cover is moved toward open position, to release said posts, and

'said back member being movable about the hinge of the opposite closed cover away from said posts to permit removal and insertion of the leaves on the posts, a jacket including a side panel of flexible material secured to each cover and overlying the same, a central panel of elastic material secured to said side panels and extending around said back member and tending to draw said side panels toward the back member.

5. A loose leaf binder comprising a back member, a cover hinged to each longitudinal edge of the back member, a plurality of leaf impaling posts extending transversely of the back member, means carried by the back member adjacent one edge thereof for engaging and securing the ends of said posts to the back member and being operable, when the adjacent cover is moved toward open position, to release said posts, and said back member being movable about the hinge of the opposite closed cover away from said posts to permit removal and insertion of the leaves on the posts, a jacket including a side panel of flexible material secured to each cover and overlying the same, a central panel of elastic material secured to said side panels and extending around said back member and tending to draw said side panels toward the back member, said central panel being cooperable with the back member and the side panels when said covers are in open position to restrain pivotal movement of the open cover relative to said back member, and to eifect pivotal movement of the back member about the hinge of the closed cover.

GERHARD H. J. BAULE. 

